Police time is increasingly being wasted by 'pocket dials'
Police time is increasingly being wasted by 'pocket dials', according to one force.
North Wales Police have issued a plea to the public to check their 'emergency call' settings on mobile phones in a bid to cut down on the number of accidental emergency calls.
The force said there had been a recent increase in silent 999 calls, adding: "These calls can take up a lot of time for staff to contact the caller back to make sure help isn’t needed."
Chief Inspector of North Wales Police, Jon Aspinall said: “The number of accidental 999 calls we are experiencing has increased significantly. I would encourage everyone to check their emergency settings on their mobile handsets and change them to prevent further accidental calls to the emergency services.
"We are working closely with mobile phone providers to resolve this situation but in the meantime a change of your settings will ensure you are not accidentally calling 999. If you have any issues in changing your settings, please contact your handset, network provider, or use an internet search to identify how to change the settings for your particular handset.
"Our priority is to provide an immediate service to those most in need and would encourage you to follow this guidance and share with your family and friends so we can provide the best service possible to those in need in a genuine emergency.”
The force has also urged people to keep mobiles out of reach of children, and to lock phones before putting them in a pocket or bag.
A spokesman added: "If you do find that your phone has dialled 999 by accident, please do speak with the call handler to inform them that the call was made by mistake and that help isn’t required."
